Conceptualizing a shared language subsystem for distributed decision support systems

Researchers have only recently begun to develop formal architectures for support systems that capitalize on advancements in distributed technologies. Conceptual models have been proposed for distributed versions of both DSS and GDSS. To date, however, these developments have largely been limited to techniques employing shared global data spaces. Research on other approaches to distributed support systems development, including that based on the shared language techniques of distributed artificial intelligence, is still lagging. To introduce this research area, this paper reviews architectural principles for distributed decision support and develops the notion of a shared language as an extension of the DSS language subsystem.